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Directions to the Meeting Point: The entrance to the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park is located between km13 and km14 signs on the A497 road that runs between San Pedro and Ronda. If you are travelling from San Pedro it is a right-hand turning and from Ronda a left-hand turning. The grid ref. for the turning is 36� 39' 38.69" N / 5� 5' 57.54" W. The entrance is clearly signposted from both directions.

The road into the Natural Park is a tarmac road and the car park is about 200 metres from the entrance on your left.

Clothing and Food: This is a very remote region. The car park is situated at about 1,000 metres above sea level and during the field meeting we will climb at least another 300 metres. The weather is unpredictable in the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park at this time of the year so it is necessary that you wear clothing that can cope with warm, cold and wet i.e layers of clothing including an outer layer of waterproof clothing if necessary. Walking shoes/boots are also necessary.

Due to it being a remote region you will need to bring your own lunch as there are no Ventas where a lunch could be purchased.

Information about the Field Meeting: We will spend about 40 to 60 minutes at the car park walking through the adjacent country searching for birds.

We will then use as few cars as possible for the remainder of the meeting, selecting those cars that can cope best with the conditions in the reserve. The tracks in the main are perfectly alright for any car, however, the track conditions in a couple of places we will pass through are best traveresed with a vehicle with a high wheel height - 4x4 is not necessary. The unsuitable cars will be left at the car park until we return.

We will take the track into the reserve, following a river valley slowly for about 6 kilometres, stopping frequently to search for resident and wintering birds. Initially we will pass through an oak wood, then a rocky gorge with steep sides and finally an open plateau and fir trees. We will spend about two hours on this part of the meeting.

We will then drive about 10 kilometres to a place called Los Quejigales where we will park the cars and have lunch.

After lunch we will go for a slow walk, which will last about 2 hours. The walk is relatively flat and along a wide track. The scenery is beautiful and the prospect for seeing birds and wild animals such as boar and deer is good.

Just read the instructions and now going to look it up on google earth. Expect to be with you on time if I leave here by 7.30 at latest - thank goodness the clocks will have gone back! However, I am out with Jenny at a dinner dance that evening so will have to make sure that I depart prompty at about 4pm. So pleased that you are going to lay on Cirl Bunting, Ring Ousel and Alpine Accentor!!

Hi. My name is Claus and I come from Denmark. I am a new member of the Society and would so much like to go for bird trips. Unfortunately I have no car and am dependent on somebody to pick me up. I would really like to go for the trip to Sierra de Las Nieves. Is anybody passing through the vicinity of Torremolinos/Fuengirola on their way to this excursion? I would be really grateful if anybody could give me a lift and I will of course pay for the petrol. Phone: 004529823994/e-mail: aniclaus51@hotmail.com. I m staying in Torremolinos.Best wishes Claus Quist

I am sorry, but if the weather does not improve dramatically we will have to cancel this trip.

The weather forecast for the Sierra de las Nievas area does not look promising, but I will monitor it closely over the next few days and will make a decision on Friday afternoon, which I will post here.

Although the weather forecast tomorrow is looking better I have decided to postpone the trip tomorrow.

My concern is that there has been so much water that the tracks up there may be in a very poor condition. When we did a recce in October there was evidence of previous rain badly damaging the track. With the amount of rain we have had during the last week the track could be completely destroyed in places.

The plan is to do another recce, probably next week, to decide whether we can have the trip on 24th November.

Although the weather forecast tomorrow is looking better I have decided to postpone the trip tomorrow.My concern is that there has been so much water that the tracks up there may be in a very poor condition. When we did a recce in October there was evidence of previous rain badly damaging the track. With the amount of rain we have had during the last week the track could be completely destroyed in places.The plan is to do another recce, probably next week, to decide whether we can have the trip on 24th November.RegardsDavid

All well and good David, but there are members who have gone to expense and trouble to be in the area for this meeting. I understand completely the logic, but couldn't we arrange another local site where conditions would be more favourable? Happy to help if necessary!